Jan 11, 2014
Mussels
Captured at a fish market of a
seaside restaurant. I think they look nice in B&W –shiny!
We chose different kind of
mussels that night. How do you like to eat your mussels? Ours was very simple; just
boiled mussels with chili sauce.
Jan 10, 2014
Having Humble Beginnings for Your Business
Most business owners have big plans for their business
ventures and it’s interesting to note that many of the biggest companies in the
modern era had humble beginnings, among them giants like Amazon and eBay.
Great
companies with humble beginnings
Amazon and eBay are just two of many companies in
recent times that started off small and are now household names, and not only
in the countries in which they originated, but in many cases around the world.
Starbucks, the global coffee chain, was founded in 1971
with a $1350 investment on the part of three academics. Yes, that’s right,
academics not business professionals, entrepreneurs or coffee plantation
moguls, but three academics, an English teacher, a history teacher and a
writer. Starbucks is now synonymous with coffee the world over so it goes to
show that you don’t necessarily require a background in the industry/sector
you’re interested in to enjoy global success in business.
Most people are familiar with the meteoric rise of
Apple, now the world’s biggest and most powerful brand, and once again it’s a
case of a company with humble beginnings – Apple began as a project in Steve
Wozniack’ garage – conquering the world and setting the bar extremely high, so
high in fact most companies don’t even bother trying to compete. Although the
company has had more than its fair share of ups and downs, and Steve Jobs is no
longer around, this is a pertinent example of how companies with humble
beginnings can conquer, and change, the world.
Don’t
be afraid to pursue your goals
Whilst most start-up owners don’t possess dreams of
world domination with their products and services – most know there’s no chance
of them becoming the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs because of the technological
advancements that have already taken place – it’s still important to dream, to
have goals and to not be afraid to pursue these dreams and goals whatever they
may be.
As Richard Branson, one of the world’s most successful
entrepreneurs, has said, “I believe in goals. It’s never a bad thing to have a
dream. If something is really what you want to do, just do it. Whatever your
goal.” This is advice that every start-up owner would do well to take note of
because if you’re to achieve success in business, whatever your business might
be, you have to have dreams and you have to have goals. Moreover, you must have
confidence in yourself to actively pursue your goals.
Starting
off small
There are actually a number of benefits to starting off
as a small business, one that’s entirely your own and therefore one you’re in control
of. This enables you to pursue your vision without interference from others and
it provides you with the opportunity to pursue your own goals, not someone
else’s.
Funding often proves problematic for start-up owners,
and if you’re the owner/founder of a start-up and your business is yet to
launch one of the best pieces of advice that can possibly be given, one you’ve
no doubt heard before as it’s an timeless adage, is ‘don’t give up your day
job’, at least not just yet.
Keeping your day job, or even part-time job, for as
long as possible helps to provide your business with the funding required to
hire serviced offices in Central
London, access admin and
business support when required and provide your start-up with a
greater chance at surviving its first few years – a high percentage of
start-ups fail within their first few years – which for most businesses,
including the world’s most successful, have traditionally proven the most
turbulent.
Unique Wedding Gifts
With wedding season starting, most people who are likely to be invited
to such occasions are left confused as to what type of gift should they gift
the couple. The gift should be something special that would be cherished by the
receiver for a long time. Buying regular things would not look good or be
appreciated by anyone. Hence, with plenty of wedding gifts available in the
market, the individual need to select the best one, something that comes with
an impact, is personal or helpful. Wedding
gift hampers in UK is surely a wonderful option.
Unique wedding gift ideas
·
Honeymoon
gift: This is sure to make the couples happy. The guest can add
to the expenses of the honeymoon. It could be like a gift certificate of a well
known restaurant or a night’s stay in a reputed hotel, or a car rental that
would tour the city, where the couples are likely to spend their honeymoon.
·
Home insurance: Most couples
after their marriage are likely to move to a new home. Hence, a home insurance can
be the perfect wedding gift, which would help the couples to have a secured
home, and a gift that is useful. It also shows how the individual cares for the
couple and is interested in protecting their future. Different types of home
insurance are available, which might make it tough to select the right one. A
better idea would be either to understand the requirements of the couple’s home
or to provide them with basic coverage.
·
A
gift, which is expected to be better with time: Whisky, wine
and art can also be considered as wonderful gift options, which is likely to
increase in taste or value over a period of time and help the couples to enjoy
together. Several companies are present that have been manufacturing
personalized wines to suite special occasions, weddings, etc. One can select
the bottle and taste that would be liked by the couple that can be gifted. It
is also a wonderful gift that can be opened up on milestone anniversary.
Similarly, an art piece is also likely to enhance in value. It can act as
heirloom, which then, can be passed on to the next generation and so on.
·
An
heirloom: Like an art piece, it would be better to offer an
heirloom as a gift since every couple would be looking forwards to begin their
own family. It could be just anything ranging from a watch set or even a tiny
plot of land. The heirloom could be anything that would either enhance in value
or would have more worth in regards to personal value.
·
A
little different: Most of the times the best gifts are something that
are unique. There are various types of gifts easily available in the market that
can also be ordered online, without any hassle. Irrespective of the type of gift
selected, it should be accompanied with a certificate of authenticity so that
the couple can enjoy it every time, it is used.
Author
The author is presently associated with expressgiftservice.co.uk
and has been providing various types of ideas for the guests to purchase the
right gift for the newly married couples.
Jan 9, 2014
First-Time Homebuyers: Three (3) Things to Consider Before Buying a Condo over a House
Condominium living can be very
attractive to many people. This is especially true if you’re staying and
working in the city where all the major attractions reside. Just imagine your
office building within walking distance that you need not brave the traffic
every morning. You can visit your favorite stores and boutiques and go malling
until they close in for the night. You can dine in an Italian restaurant
anytime you want because it’s just a couple of blocks away. Visualize the
freedom of going for a dip at night without having to head over to a nearby
resort for swimming pool access. Picture yourself indulging on a body spa after
a hectic week at work. Everything boils down to convenience.
What to Consider When Buying A Condo
Over A House
Choosing condo over a house is not surprising especially to the career-oriented,
socially-active individuals. However, for first-time homebuyers, you have to
apply a little caution though. While there are noticeable advantages in
condominium living, there are some items that need further considerations.
Below are some of them.
Understand each point before you go
shopping for a property for sale. See which aspects
you can accept and which you cannot do so.
1. Fees, insurance and other expenses. A great
thing about condos is that it is cheaper in terms of maintenance and repair
costs. Unlike with houses where you are in charge of such fees, the payments
you hand over to your homeowners association usually cover all that. In short,
you need not worry yourself about it anymore. So before you seal the deal, find
out how much the monthly fees are and what does it go towards to. Is there a
capital reserve? If affirmative, how much gets funded every year? Is the
building insured in the first place? Knowing all these amounts can give you a
rough estimate on the total spending it will entail on your end.
2. Rules and regulations. All condominiums abroad follow certain policies and restrictions which make it entirely
different from houses where in the latter, you have the final say of the do’s
and don’t’s. So before you close the transaction, ensure that each policy is
clearly identified. Are pets allowed? Can you rent out your unit should you
decide to move elsewhere? If you love gardening, can you plant anywhere around
your area? How about parking? Are your visitors allowed to park on unused
spaces? Be detailed in determining each guideline so you will not be caught off
guard in case you are not able to meet a condition.
3. Lifestyle. The lifestyle in condominiums
generally requires shared walls and more interaction with neighbors. Verify the
percentage between resident owners versus investors. More tenants signify a
frequent change in neighbors and a lot of moving in and out which can mean wear
and tear on the corridors. What are the quiet hours? What are the demographics
of the people next doors?
